Scope and Contents

The collection consists of 17 photographs taken by Sergeant Dennis I. Fisher for the U.S. Marine Corps. The photos were taken March 6 through April 21, 1968, and show Marines of the 1st Battalion 27th Marine Regiment participating in several operations, including Operation No Name II, Operation Rock, Operation Baxter, and Operation Houston. The photos also show F-4C Phantoms dropping 250 pound “snake eye” bombs, 60mm High Explosive (HE) mortar rounds, firing a 60mm mortar, M-60 machine gun, M-79 grenade launcher, and helicopters in use including a CH-53 Sea Stallion and a CH-46 Sea Knight.

Biographical / Historical

Dennis I. Fisher was born 17 January 1947 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. In June 1966, he volunteered for the U.S. Marine Corps and served a total of 3 years with 1.5 years in Vietnam with the 1st Marine Division, stationed at Da Nang and Phu Bai. He served first with the Headquarters Battalion, Headquarters Company, Security Platoon as an infantry rifleman (MOS 0311 ; December 1966-June 1967) and then with the Headquarters Battalion, Service Company, Combat Photo Section as a Still Photographer (MOS 4631 ; June-September 1967 and December 1967-August 1968). He was wounded in action on 29 September 1967 and medevaced for treatment, recuperating at the U.S. Naval Hospital at Guam, Mariana Islands until December 1967. He returned to the Combat Photo Section for the duration of his tour, including assignment to Sub Unit 1 from April-July 1968. As a combat photographer he covered many named (Op Cochise, Op Zippo, Op Rock, Op Houston, Op No Name II, Op Baxter Garden, and Op Allen Brook) and unnamed operations along with smaller actions that had no name, such as tank/infantry sweeps, small unit actins, reconnaissance in force patrols, MedCaps, aerial photography, among others.

He entered USMC service as a Private First Class and was a Sergeant E-5 at the time of his discharge in April 1969. He was awarded the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 3 Stars, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Combat Action Ribbon, and Rifle M-14 Marksman Badge.

When he returned to civilian life, Fisher built a career as a professional photographer.